Events
The environment that the Clans live in is subject to change; the landscape is beautiful, but it can also be deadly, and there are many dangers that each Clan faces daily. However, not everything the land throws at the Clans is negative. Here, many different events that can occur within the Clans are listed, from seasonal happenings to more random events. Grunion Runs Fish known as grunion leave the water at night to spawn on the beaches. Spawning occurs after high tides and continues for several hours. The fish will try to retreat into the ocean as soon as spawning is complete, but some fish remain stranded on the beach for several minutes. *Affects WaveClan and MarshClan *Nighttime event during the spring and summer months *Begins on the nights of the full and new moons *Lasts for four consecutive nights *Peak activity during late newleaf/early greenleaf *Hunting parties will go to the beaches to pick fish off of the sands *Event treated as a celebration, almost like a festival; cats celebrate their Clans' prosperity by feasting on the abundance of food *Having prolonged grunion runs or numerous runs per season/year is taken as a sign of good fortune to come Daylily Blossoms Daylilies bloom in brilliant red and orange hues across the moorland. The bright, distinctive petals can be seen from great distances where the flowers bloom in dense patches. The blooms remain open throughout the day, but close up at night. *Affects MeadowClan *Daytime event during summer and occasionally parts of autumn *Begins in the early days of greenleaf, and will continue throughout the season *Medicine cats will harvest the plants for medical purposes *Flowers also help to stop fires on MeadowClan territory; because the root system of the flowers is damp, fires can be stopped by thick patches of daylilies *Similar to grunion runs in WaveClan & MarshClan, blooms are met with celebration *Daylilies continuing to bloom through the beginning of leaf-fall is taken as a sign of good fortune to come Spring Tides A unique tidal event; its name does not actually refer to the season, but rather how the tides "spring" forward and back. During this event, high tides rise much further than they normally do, and low tides draw much further back. This means that it is better to stay off the beaches during high tides. However, low tides offer an abundance of resources that are usually harder to access. Seaweed, for example, may be left exposed on the beaches for harvest, or prey that would usually be inaccessible (such as mussels, if cats are able to pry them off the rocks) is now within reach – or even prey that is normally accessible may just be easier to get at, if fish are beached by the tide, or crabs hide in the rocks, for instance. *Primarily affects WaveClan, some affect on MarshClan *Newleaf event during the days and nights of full and new moons *Direct effect on WaveClan, as they occupy the beach; most of the effect on MarshClan is just that the marshes are subjected to more tidal flooding during the high tides (this is the time of year where the camp itself is more likely to flood) - however, low tides mean that parts of the beaches and marshes that are usually submerged are exposed, which can be beneficial *Spring Tides are not as celebrated as Grunion Runs are, as the especially high tides can be dangerous *Prey isn't as frequent or plentiful as in a Grunion Run, since the food is all still the same and in the same numbers, just without the cover of the ocean to retreat into from hunting patrols *Though not as celebrated as Grunion Runs, Spring Tides can be useful in getting a Clan back on its feet after a hard leafbare Wildfires The air around the Lost Coast is typically damp with seaspray, but that doesn't completely eliminate the threat of wildfires. The air is especially dry and hot during greenleaf, and the winds blowing out over Clan territory from the ocean means the fires spread quickly. *Affects MeadowClan *Daytime or nighttime event primarily occurring in summer, though it may occur at other points during the year *Landscape particularly susceptible to fires on hot, dry days *Fires spread quickly on windy days *Patches of daylilies can stop the flames from spreading *Fires may occasionally spread to the fringes of WaveClan or MarshClan territory, but WaveClan doesn't have many plants for fires to burn, and MarshClan is too wet for fires to pose a serious threat Tidal Flooding The tides of the ocean come in and out day by day, sometimes higher or lower than other times. The water rises up the beaches and into the salt marshes as the tide comes in, then recedes as the tide goes back out. The movement of tides affects the landscape, and may reveal or conceal prey depending on the tides. *Primarily affects MarshClan, some effect on WaveClan *When tides come in, water floods the salt marshes; parts of the territory are submerged in water, with narrow parts of the land between waterways left uncovered, though they can also be covered during higher flooding *When tides go back out, water recedes; parts of the territory usually submerged expose muddy/sandy ground *It may be easier to catch certain fish at different points during the high or low tides *When tides are particularly high, Tidal Flooding may even flood MarshClan's camp to some degree (this is most likely to happen during Spring Tides) *Higher tides cover more of WaveClan's beaches, but the Clan is rarely very affected Sea Lion Mating Season Sea lions are a common sight along the beaches; they can be seen swimming in the ocean or sunning themselves on rocks off of the shores. They aren't inherently aggressive creatures, but their size and occasionally territorial natures lead cats to be wary when they encounter them. Mating season is more dangerous than other times, as sea lions will come onto the beaches and stake out "territories" where they will compete for mates. *Affects WaveClan *Daytime event during some spring and summer months *Event occurs in the later parts of newleaf and the beginning of greenleaf *Sea lions occupy certain areas of the beaches in order to compete for mates; the areas around Thundering Stones is particularly populous *Cats are advised to stay away from the beaches while sea lions are defending their territories, as the territorial males may attack any trespassers on their turf Earthquakes Earthquakes are not as frequent or as severe along the Lost Coast as they are in southern California, but they still happen from time to time. Depending on the severity and location of the earthquake, it could be a disaster, or merely a footnote in an otherwise uneventful day. *Affects WaveClan, MeadowClan, & MarshClan *Can occur anytime in any season *Though earthquakes usually only last a few seconds (up to a minute, tops), the effects can be devastating depending on the strength of the earthquake *Trees and stones can be toppled by earthquakes, which can pose a danger to cats (especially on WaveClan's cliffs) *Some earthquakes can tear chasms into the ground, if they are strong enough *Earthquakes are very, very rare, and most cats won't see more than one in their lifetime, if that